The atmosphere in the office was quiet all morning. Feng Yujie hadn’t assigned them any work. When it was time for lunch, Xue Yue went to get her.

"Sister Feng, it’s time for lunch."

Feng Yujie didn’t even look up. "You two go ahead."

Xue Yue came out and shook her head at Zhao Li. The two of them headed to the cafeteria.

"Sister Feng seems to be in low spirits. Is it because of work?" Xue Yue asked.

There were a few projects recently that required negotiating with other countries. Xue Yue hadn’t gone to any of the talks; at her current level, it would be difficult for her to attend such events.

However, she had overheard others mention that the process wasn’t going very smoothly.

Zhao Li glanced around, then whispered to Xue Yue, "It’s probably her personal business again. You haven’t been here long, so you wouldn’t know. Sister Feng is already over forty and still single."

Xue Yue was a little surprised. She’d heard Feng Yujie mention she didn’t have children last time, but she never imagined she wasn’t even married.

"Why isn’t Sister Feng married?"

Zhao Li pursed her lips. "Who knows? But her mother has come to the office to see her a few times, mostly to set her up with someone and rush her into meeting them."

"Sigh. With Sister Feng’s qualifications, even though she’s a bit older, it wouldn’t be hard for her to find someone if she really wanted to. Finding someone young would probably be tough, though. Most single men her age are either divorced or widowed, which doesn’t sound very appealing."

"I think Sister Feng doesn’t want to get married, but she can’t stand the pressure from her family. Then again, if she’d actually listened to her family, she wouldn’t have waited this long."

Xue Yue nodded. They weren’t the ones involved, so they couldn’t truly empathize, nor did they have any right to comment. They could only listen to it as gossip. But Xue Yue thought Sister Feng was cool. ’Who says a woman has to get married and have children? To reach Sister Feng’s level of success and live so freely is pretty great, too.’

After getting their food in the cafeteria, Xue Yue and Zhao Li looked for a place to sit, trays in hand.

She scanned the room and saw Zheng Guofeng waving at her.

Xue Yue hesitated for a moment. Zhao Li saw her and happily pulled her toward his table.

"Hello, Vice Minister Zheng. I’m Zhao Li from the Disciplinary Inspection Team."

Zhao Li eagerly introduced herself to Zheng Guofeng.

Zheng Guofeng smiled and nodded, then looked at Xue Yue. "Sit down and eat. I have something to ask you."

Xue Yue had no choice but to sit down.

Zhao Li sat down next to Xue Yue as well.

Zheng Guofeng placed a piece of sweet and sour fish on Xue Yue’s tray. "Why didn’t you get any fish? Try this. It’s quite good."

Xue Yue said, "They were all out by the time I got there."

"Come earlier next time," Zheng Guofeng said, giving her another piece.

Zhao Li shoveled a mouthful of vegetables into her mouth, her eyes darting between Xue Yue and Zheng Guofeng.

"Uncle Zheng, that’s enough," Xue Yue said, sensing Zhao Li’s gaze. She sighed inwardly.

"What’s Hangzhou been busy with lately? I haven’t been to their department in a while."

Xue Yue replied, "When I went to see him a couple of days ago, he said he was still busy with a case."

Zheng Guofeng nodded. "I saw the papers a few days ago. They’re making such a big scene, it seems the case isn’t over yet."

"I think so."

"I’ve heard about that case of theirs. The higher-ups are taking it very seriously, so there are probably a lot of difficulties."

Xue Yue nodded. "Mhm."

When Feng Yujie entered the cafeteria, she saw the scene: Xue Yue and Zhao Li were sitting at a table with Zheng Guofeng, eating and seemingly chatting. She furrowed her brow slightly.

After she got her food, she saw that only Xue Yue and Zhao Li were left at the table. Feng Yujie walked over to them.

"Sister Feng."

Feng Yujie nodded and sat down across from them.

"I saw Vice Minister Zheng was here just now?"

Zhao Li said with a smile, "Sister Feng, I bet you didn’t know. Xiao Xue and Vice Minister Zheng are apparently relatives."

Feng Yujie looked at Xue Yue.

Xue Yue gave an awkward smile. "He’s just an elder."

Zhao Li nudged Xue Yue with her elbow. "Sister Feng is one of us. What’s there to hide? I can see Vice Minister Zheng treats you very well."

Xue Yue just smiled and said no more.

Feng Yujie glanced at Xue Yue, then looked down at her food, lost in thought.

After they returned to the office, Feng Yujie suddenly called Xue Yue in.

"Sister Feng."

Feng Yujie walked over, closed the door, and then said to Xue Yue, "Have a seat."

Xue Yue sat down on the stool.

Feng Yujie sat across from her, staring at Xue Yue.

Xue Yue’s fingers curled, and her gaze flickered nervously.

"Does Vice Minister Zheng have a son?"

At her words, Xue Yue’s head snapped up to look at Feng Yujie, unsure what she meant by the question.

"I’m just asking casually. I don’t mean anything by it, so don’t overthink it."

Xue Yue didn’t say anything.

Seeing this, Feng Yujie leaned back in her chair, her voice softening considerably.

"I’ve known Old Zheng for over a decade. We were supervisor and subordinate, but also friends, I’d say. Later, when he was reported by someone, I wanted to help him, but I didn’t have the power to do so. I heard he didn’t have any family, but then I happened to hear a rumor that he had a son. So I’m just curious. But there’s a certain propriety to be maintained between men and women, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to ask him directly."

Hearing Feng Yujie put it that way, Xue Yue nodded. "Yes, he has a son."

"Is he married? How come I’ve never heard about it?" Feng Yujie’s tone was clearly urgent.

Xue Yue shook her head. "I don’t think so. I’m not clear on the details myself."

Xue Yue was still being cautious and didn’t tell her everything directly.

Feng Yujie sat there in a daze, staring blankly into space. Xue Yue just watched her.

Somehow, watching Feng Yujie’s vacant expression, Xue Yue recalled what Zhao Li had told her earlier.

’Could Sister Feng’s being single all this time have something to do with Uncle Zheng? But it’s obvious Uncle Zheng has no one in his heart but her mother.’

Xue Yue’s imagination suddenly ran wild.

’Could it be... a secret love?’

’Does this kind of devotion really exist? To wait for so many years.’

’Since they’re both single, why doesn’t she just say it? Is she afraid of rejection? Or has she already been rejected?’

"Xue Yue—?"

Feng Yujie had called her name twice.

"What are you thinking about?"

Xue Yue shot up from the stool. "N-Nothing, Sister Feng."

Feng Yujie said to her, "Don’t tell anyone about what we discussed today. Alright, you can go."

Xue Yue replied, "Okay, I understand."

When she came out of the office, Zhao Li sidled up to her. "What did Sister Feng call you in for? She even closed the door."

Xue Yue shook her head. "It was nothing."

Seeing that Xue Yue didn’t want to talk, Zhao Li pouted, returned to her desk, and started organizing her files.

Xue Yue rested her chin on her hand, sighing endlessly in her heart.

’The world is so complicated. It’s better for me to just pretend I don’t know anything.’

When she got home from work that evening, she saw Mrs. He in the yard, using a flour-based paste to mend Xiao Yu’s books. Only then did Xue Yue remember that Mr. and Mrs. He were supposed to go to the school that day to demand justice for Xiao Yu.

"Mom, did you go to the school today?"

Mrs. He nodded. "We did."

"So what did the school say?"

Hearing Xue Yue’s question, Mrs. He began to tell her what had happened at the school that day.